Montana

Missoula suicide victim well known in sports circles

Posted: Sep 18, 2012 8:03 AM by MTN News
Updated: Sep 18, 2012 8:03 AM

MISSOULA - The man who killed himself on Friday by going under a moving semi-truck on the University of Montana campus was once one of the state's biggest names in sports.

Bill Peoples, 60, was a national champion handball player and a standout athlete at the University of Montana. And during the 1970's and early 1980's, he was one of the best known sports figures in the Treasure State.

Investigators believe Peoples intentionally walked under the delivery truck and was crushed. Jason Johnson with the Missoula County Sheriff's Office says that a family member told investigators that Peoples had done this before.

Johnson added that, "from a coroner's office perspective this incident appears to have been a suicide."

Peoples was a Butte native who won national titles in handball in both singles and doubles. He was also named the University of Montana's outstanding athlete in 1975.